Daddy and I began our trip to Israel at about 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday April 23. We flew on four different flights and arrived at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv around lunch time on April 24. I got a grand total of roughly four hours of sleep, but jet lag did not catch up to me because I was super excited to be in Israel! :)

Our first task to complete once we made our way through airport security/customs was to find lunch. We drove away from the airport into the bustling streets of Tel Aviv (the motorists love their horns); and after a short walk from the bus drop, we found the restaurant that would serve us our first falafel in Israel. :)

I will admit, I’m not a fan of falafel; but despite my dislike, the falafel was extremely tasty! :)

After lunch, we took a lovely walk to Independence Hall.

Tel Aviv is a beautiful mixture of history and modern sights. :)

Here on May 14, 1948, Israel declared herself a free country.

Listening to Israel’s National Anthem while standing in this hall was very moving.

Our next stop was Jaffa (Joppa). This is the city that Jonah fled to from the Lord to set sail for Tarshish (Jonah 1:3).

I love the stone buildings in Jaffa! :)

A beautiful backstreet

This is the front door of the home of Simon the Tanner.

Uncle Kenny and his friend, Napoleon! :D

The port of Jaffa

I don’t care for the fact that this is a Catholic church, but I like the vibrant colors in the photo. :)

A beautiful view of Tel Aviv

After we left Jaffa, we had to drive back to the airport to pick up the rest of our group that had a later arrival time. Once everyone was settled in, we began our drive just before dark to our hotel in Jerusalem! I was amazed at how beautiful the land was! I had seen photos of Israel before; but seeing the dessert, the trees, the stone homes, the busy streets, with my own eyes was amazing. :) I couldn’t believe I was in Israel! It was the end of just the first day of our trip, and I already didn’t want to go home! :D